Improvement in pneumatic telegraphs



3 Sheets--Sheet 2. A. B UATTABI.

Pneumatic-Telegrams. I N0.l48,362 Patented March 10.1874.

Witnesses:

j/ a W I Iuvmlar:

UNIT D STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTO enarrnnr, on CASTELLAMARE, ITALY.

IMPROVEMENT IN PNEUMATIC TELE GRAPHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,362, dated March10, 1874; application filed December 26, 1873. Q

' clare that the following is a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, reference bein had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic telegraphs; and consists of animproved instrument adapted to serve either as transmitter or receiver,so that by means of two such in: struments placed at different stationsand connected by a single air-conducting tube mes sages may betransmitted in either direction. This instrument has but one dial, whichserves. to indicate both the signals sent and received, so that the sameinstrument is made to answer both purposes, thereby dispensing with oneof the instruments required in all other pneumatic telegraphs, enablingme to greatly lessen the cost of the apparatus.

The instrument comprises a compressible air-bag, reworked by handle a,and communicating, when the instrument is used as a transmitter, by oneof several ways or passages in a cock, I), with the airtube' 0, leadingto a precisely similar instrument placed in any situation with which itis desired to communicate. The cock I) has three ways, 0 e 'e and ahandle, (Z, by which it may be set in any one of,

the three positions indicated in Fig. 1, for the purpose, first, (whenthe instrument is to be used for transmitting,) of establishingcommunication by side passage 0 between bellows a and the tube 0; or,second, (when the instrument is used for receiving,) for connecting, byanother passage, 6, tube 0 with branch tube f, leading to the mechanismby which the indexneedle .is operated; or, thirdly, for connecting, bymeans of the passage 0 tube 0 with the branch tube g, which leads to thealarm h. In this latter position, also, the passage 0 connects bellows awith tube f, to enable the operator to bring the needle of theinstrument to the or startingpoint on thedial before commencing toreceive or to send a message. The passages c e c are so arranged and thespaces between the tubes 6 f g are so proportioned thereto that whenhandle (1 is in either of the extreme positions the center passage 0 isclosed air-tight. This membrane is inflated each time the air in thetube is compressed. i1 is the dial, marked with suitable letters, words,and signs, as shown; and 7c is theindeX-needle working over the same. ona spindle, Z, and is rotated step by step over the dial by an anchorpropelment, m, working a ratchet-wheel, n, keyed on spindle l, andoperated by the movements of diaphragm k, which are transmitted by meansof a rod, 0, terminating at one end in a disk bearing against the saiddiaphragm, and abutting at the other end against a projection, 19, onthe anchor m. The inflation. of the diaphragm is oscillates the anchor min one direction, the return movement being effected by a spring, g. Inorder that the needle of the instrument, when transmitting a message,may work in unison with the needle of the instrument at the other 'endof the tube 0, at which the message is being received, I provide anotherdiaphragm, s, similar to k, which closes the end of a small tube, 7leading from bellows a, and inflated at each compression of the saidbellows, thus actuating the anchor propelment through the agency of arod, r acting on a small arm on the anchor-spindle. The branch tube 9 isalso closed by a diaphragm, 9 like the others, and, when inflated by thepressure of air in the tube, acts on a rod, 9 which releases a detent,controlling any suitable arrangement of alarm. sis a rod, fitted toslide in guides and provided with a stud, 8 which abuts against atail-piece on the anchor m, and holds the latter stationary when the rod8 is forced back against the pressure of its springs s by depressing aknob, t, fixed on a pin terminating in a beveled point bearing against ahead or rod, 8. This is done when the operator desires to sound the bellof the instrument at the distant station without moving the needle ofhis own instrument.

The instruments are worked in the following 1 This needle is fixed 111anner: Suppose two instruments to be placed at any convenient distanceapart and connected by a tube, 0, as above described. When notsignaling, the handle 01 is kept over the word alarum, so that thebranch 9 of each instrument is in communication with the tube 0 bypassage 6 and either operator can attract the attention of the other. Todo this he moves the. handle (1 to the word transmitting, therebyestablishing communication between the air-bag a and tube 0. He thendepresses knob t, and compresses the said bag a, which inflates thediaphragm g of the other instrument, thereby releasing the clock-workand soundin g the alarum. The latter is so arranged as to ceasesounding; as soon as the diaphragm again collapses. The operator whoseattention is thus called immediately places the handle d of hisinstrument over the word receivin g, thus connecting branch f with tube0, in which position the instrument is adapted for receiving signals.

In order to replace the needle of his own in strument at the or startingpoint on the dial before sending or receiving a message, the operatorplaces handle (I over the word alarum, and actuates the needle byworking the bellows a. In order to transmit signals, the handle (I isplaced in the proper position, as indicated, and the bellows it worked,as before, the pulsations of the air thus produced actuating the needlesof both instruments in unison, as before described.

Although I prefer the arrangement above described, I may dispense withthe diaphragm r and small tube r, and make a communication betweenpassages c and e of cock I), to produce the same result; or I may causethe moving part of bellows a to act directly on anchor on through theagency of rod 8, which would be connected to the bellows by a spring toallow the bellows to be worked without moving the rods, when desired.The tension of said spring would be counteracted by another spring applied against the other end of rod 3, so as to allow the latter to bemoved freely to and fro at every motion of handle a. The stud 8 would inthis case be placed so as to push against the tail-piece of anchor m butit could be prevented from acting thereon when not required by holdingback rod 8 and depressing knob 25.

Valves maybe substituted for the diaphragm above referred to byemploying bello Ws capable of forcing currents of air through the tubes,instead of merely compressing it therein, and for long distances theneedle maybe operated by clock-work mechanism fitted in the instrumentitself, and released by the movements of the diaphragm or valve, insteadof the latter being made to actuate the needle directly, as hereinbeforedescribed.

Having thus described-my invention, what I claim isl. A combinedreceiving and transmitting instrument, consisting of an air-compressingapparatus, a dial with index-needle actuated by propelling mechanism,and a cock by which any one of the branch tubes may be made tocommunicate with the main tubes, all substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with a clock-mechanism anchor, m, having the stud p,of the spring q, rod 0, and vibratory diaphragm k, to operate a needleon the dial of clock mechanism, as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of bellows a, tube 1', diaphragm h, and rod 0 with anarm of anchor-shaft, as and for the purpose specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 6th day ofNovember, 1873.

AUGUSTO GUATTARI.

Witnesses: I

HERMANN KREISMANN, BERTnoLD ROI.

